Gunpla History For Curious Beginners

Showcasing some of the most important parts of history for Gunpla.
I wanted to give a bit of a deeper dive into the history behind Gundam and Gunpla to educate myself and found a rather interesting series of events that have procured Bandai as one of the greatest toy manufacturers on earth.
Covering from 1979 to 2020 join me on a journey through plastic snap fit kits, various grades and scales of model kits as we unearth the history of Mobile Suit Gundam, Gundam Seed and Zeta Gundam as it relates to Gunpla model kits made by Bandai.
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/ @ichishoto
Music:
freesound.org/

[@ichishoto]

I feel I learned a lot doing this video!

[@ohmywingz]

I LOVE THAT GREEN SCREEN

[@ichishoto]

​@ohmywingz Thanks it was a pain dragging it out of retirement to shoot this video😊

[@ohmywingz]

GOOOD WHERE R U@@ichishoto

[@mrguaranteed]

Rip gundam evo

[@ichishoto]

​@@ohmywingzI went to bed

[@concon09090]

an interesting footnote in the early history of gunpla is that while the kit sales are what caused the show to really take off, it only lived long enough for that to happen culturally because, according to Tomino at least, there was a strong female fanbase who were watching because they liked Char and Amuro, and gave the show a lot of vital support in the period before Bandai got their claws into it and started making bank off the model kits. just another way the show was way outside the demographics it was meant to be playing to, i guess

[@ichishoto]

100% I want to do a future video on the show it's self and women's contributions to the Fandom but that one is still a little ways off because research sucks the life out of me like a college frat party sucks back beer

[@FocusedCat]

I bought my first Gunpla 3 days ago. Witch From Mercury. HG Aerial Rebuild.

[@ichishoto]

That's a great kit! Welcome to Gunpla

[@smite9924]

It will eat your wallet alive becareful

[@pw3ninja]

its sooo good. get schwarzette and calibarn!!

[@FocusedCat]

@@ichishoto Thanks!

[@FocusedCat]

@@pw3ninja Just got Calibarn, Lfrith Jiu and Lfrith yesterday!

[@IronMysterian]

Was kinda hoping you talk about Clover a bit more :P Kunio Okawara designed most of their toy robots anf they made some of the best and most fun diecast robots from that era. Always super high quality and lots of size variations. Good stuff either way.

[@ichishoto]

Sad as it is I wanted to stick more to Gunpla specifically so clover was really just the setup. Maybe one day I'll talk more about Gundam toys and do a deep dive on Clover

[@watermelonpizza7824]

Dang it!! That scene of Kira cracked me up so hard. 🤣🤣🤣

[@ichishoto]

I'm so happy someone appreciated that joke

[@arthurdotson9579]

At 11:14, the HG Revive stuff. You make it sound like they're not a big deal. If you go google up images comparing the original Gundam Wing 1/144 Shenlong GunPla from the mid-late 1990s with its more recent Revive release, the difference in design and quality would blow you away. I originally thought Revive was just a rerelease, and didn't look too closely into it, until more recently. Gundam Wing models in it really are better in every way, from design, detail, all pieces are the right color with no need for stickers/paint, the proportions are so-SOO much better....it's worth looking into. Once I realized this and took a closer look at the Shenlong....well, it gave me ideas, so I bought two of them, along with an old Endless Waltz Nataku gundam, took the dragon fang arm from one kit, modded it from a right arm to a left arm, fully built the other kit to have two dragon fang arms (kind of like the later Alto-long gundam), then used a backpack add-on kit from the Gundam Parts with these unfolding weapon arms, added the Nataku dragon gangs to them and....well, I was happy with the custom result, and it never would have looked so good if the new Shenlong wasn't as beautiful a model as it was. Updated, looks great, lots of flexibility in a "martial arts" gundam, not as good as other gunpla kits, but absolutely fantastic for the $20 price!

[@ichishoto]

Definitely something to keep in mind if I do an updated version in the future or a more indepth jump into specific lines. The custom sounds amazing I'd love to see pics of it someday!

[@nickjones8619]

Oh, hey, that’s my Perfect Grade Unleashed. That caught me by surprise. Lol.

[@ichishoto]

That's so dope! Glad I could find your pic!

[@vicarsol9954]

Shame you didn't add in the SDs for this "Beginner's" video as those kits are pretty substantial to Bandai's history and are an important part of its market whether you like it or not. There's a reason why Bandai still continues them to this day and even improves them making MGSD line recently. As for the decline in MGs and the constant PBandai runs recently is probably due to Bandai preparing to open up their 2nd factory this year to keep up with the recent demand & spike of demand in the hobby recently. Afaik, they are trying to release new products but keeping supplies limited OR they are just greedy, probably both. As for innovations in recent years, I feel like model kit construction design recently has slowed down or worse gone down, especially from newer lines like IBO, BD & WfM due to their cheap construction. The newer kits are riddled with bad poly cap placements and poly cap quality. As well as recently with WfM, relying on c-clips for some integral joints is baffling choice. There are standouts ofc with WfM introducing complicated plastic injection tech and the normalisation of fully color separated heads. Hoping the trend recently of plastic on plastic construction to not spread to newer lines in the future. They work for stuff like 30minute missions since they are supposed to be modular and cheap but WfM or IBO shouldn't have that be their focus, imo when designing them in exchange for stability. Anyways, there is plenty of innovation going around in the scale modelling hobby recently and a lot of companies are fulfilling alot of niches and creating their own plastic tech in recent years to rival the "bandai" quality in model kits and technology.

[@miragebangbravern2024]

There is also a fact why we aren't getting more regular releases is because of other properties Bandai has to do and Japanese's economy not being in the best of state now.

[@CameronWoods-xe5wg]

SD is trash.

[@CodeRed001]

Back when Gundam Wing first aired on Toonami, I was a little kid they would sell the original SD gundam line at my local hobby shop for like 5 to 10 bucks a kit. I still have my original Rx-78, pyscho gundam, zeta, and dom in their boxes.

[@vcom741]

I adore WFM kits, but amen on C clips being shit. I destroyed my Pharact's backpack, to the point where I got another kit to remake it lol (the rest I'll store for later whenever I decide to build my own custom kit)

[@fishpop]

Iron-Blooded Orphans DID kinda revolutionise Gunpla in that almost every kit in the series had an inner frame, similar to MGs but simplified.

[@ichishoto]

Yes they had partial frames but the RG series did it first in the 1/144 scale. So I didn't consider it to be that big of a difference putting it hg besides the price point differences and some neat engineering.

[@fishpop]

@@ichishoto My Gunpla collecting started with RGs back in December 2014 with the then-new Z'Gok. Granted i had the old HG Sandrock Custom before it and had bought it with the Ver Ka Nu Gundam but most of my other early purchases after were mostly RGs, save for the HGUC Gouf Custom

[@CodeRed001]

I own and have built several of the original kits and the later MSV (Mobile Suit Variation) line. Personally, there is nothing cooler than those old models. They require some skill to glue, sand, paint, or shape to your own custom design with model putty. But when you see one that's built with skill, it's a thing of real beauty. I would also like to note that the original 1/60 scale Gunpla kits were made all the way back in 1980. They obviously didn't have the detail that you would expect from modern day stuff but they were really cool. I have a 1/60 Dom model that's been painted and customized. There's also this crazy 1/30 Zaku 2 High Mobility type that was released in the 80's, it was made out of styrofoam cause of it's massive size. I can't imagine the skill needed to make the styrofoam look smooth but the pictures of the finished product is just so amazing.

[@ichishoto]

That's some pretty wild stuff. Makes me wish I could time travel and get some of those older kits.

[@yi_hou3092]

4:58 I think you mixed up the RX-78's Core Block System for the Zeta Gundam Are you talking about how the early Zeta Gndam High Grade was capable of Transforming cause the source you used was completely mangled

[@ichishoto]

It was both there was the introduction of both the core system and Zeta gundams transformation system

[@pierretsang7907]

- Original "Mobile Suit Gundam" has 43 episodes, NOT 39. - The CORE Block System was actually the standard feature from the original Gundam series (Gundam, Gun Cannon, Gun Tank) NOT Zeta Gundam.

[@ichishoto]

It was cut back to 39 but bandai renegotiated to 43. I cut that part by accident. The comment about the core system and the Zeta transformation were two separate comments

[@pierretsang7907]

@@ichishoto The comment you "read" at 05:00 to 05:05 in the video clearly stated that "The Gundam core system allowed for the core or cockpit to be removed from the Gundam to become a vehicle along with Zeta Gundam's transformation feature". Maybe I misunderstand this part, then...

[@ichishoto]

@pierretsang7907 yes it was in reference to what was done in that particular set of releases. Along with as in beside.

[@paolovillanuevamd]

The IBO and WFM are actually touchpoints in latest gunpla tech, with a full inner frame for IBO kits and the use of excellent color separation and the preprinted holographic clear materials for WFM. I know people from the West only care about MGs but really the latest innovations are in the 1/144 lines like the new EGs and HGs. The Moon Gundam in itself was revolutionary in both color separation, details, and articulation but that one's HG as well so maybe that's why it flew under your radar.

[@ichishoto]

I've got the moon gundam it was definitely a great kit

[@TheLVJ]

1/60 kits had been around since the early 80s.

[@mrguaranteed]

The comment about the SD’s 😂

[@ichishoto]

Horrible kits lol

[@phantomzero906]

@@ichishotoagreed only topped by clear kits!

[@GojirajJr]

Nah, you just gotta look for the good kits. BB Senshi and SDCS are the really good SD kits, featuring engineering and parts separation on par to the larger Gunpla models. Stay away from SDEX though, those kits should only be for beginners, painting practice, or if you're really broke

[@ichishoto]

​@@GojirajJr for me it's because of the look and the stickers my God the stickers

[@Herr_Gamer]

I will never understand why Seed is the most popular series in Japan. Is it seriously just the titty bouncing scenes? Is it that easy? Also get yourself a Ver.Ka. It’s worth it

[@ichishoto]

You may be right... bouncing boobs and big bots

[@kenenix3680]

we need more of this

[@ichishoto]

I'll keep making stuff similar to this if everyone keeps watching it

[@mitsune13]

hey!! the whiniest was Kamille folowed by Uso... then Kira

[@ichishoto]

😂

[@gl1tch443]

MR BEEEAAAST

[@Demoncradle]

I think you skipped the RE 100 line that started in 2014

[@Shakiahjprod]

Dont mind me I dont got any corrections or suggestions, I just listened cuz I wanted to learn about history 😂

[@ichishoto]

That's why I did it just some interesting history in a hopefully entertaining format. Learning is fun

[@joshuawiseman5629]

seriously man you really need to build at least 1 ver ka kit you are really really missing something very special in gunpla i suggest the wing zero ew ver ka the one with the angel wings and its not overly expensive or the zeta ver ka seriously you really really should get at least one they both aren't the most expensive ver ka kits so please do yourself a favor

[@ichishoto]

I'd really love to get one it's just a matter of finding one in my area they're usually all sold out when I go to my fav shop

[@David_fromTwitch]

MGSD best SD SDBB maybe old, but it can still kick ass SDCS *chef kiss* SDEX *tosses into trash bin* know your f**king place, trash! im not a fan of SD but imma an exception for the SDBB Guntank

[@XionSempai]

Kira whiny? If you have to live that, you won't even had a chance to cry, most simply will unlive themselves. All the people that say that Kira is a whiny kid are edgelord and idiots

[@ichishoto]

@XionSempai it's specifically a tone thing. He has a whiny tone to his cry. No issues with the character himself but his tone of voice is awful when he cries. It's a well known meme at this point

[@citizen_grub4171]

My guy really claiming Entry Grade is a dead line.

[@ichishoto]

The original entry grade line. It came back I talk about that too

[@sanikku7359]

But SD Gundam does belong here! SD is weird but like, the Karl Gustav we love and know is infact from SD Gundam! The original Hathaway's Flash (Book) design looks nothing like it! And there's alot of other UC designs i don't know from the top of my head ARE from SD Gundam! Be nice to it!!

[@ichishoto]

It's entirely my personal preference thst i dont like them and I decided to omit it more as a joke and to cut down video run time if I included everything gunpla then we'd have an hour or two long video and viewership likely would have been down which means the video wouldn't have been pushed out for all of you to see it. We are all slaves to the algorithm sadly

[@sanikku7359]

@@ichishoto I'm also making a joke just because good (full scale) designs come out of it.....

[@ichishoto]

@@sanikku7359 I totally misread that lol

[@user-ob2di9uk1n]

Not one word spoken about perfect grade

[@ichishoto]

No I did talk about perfect grade

[@jude101JL]

Bro dropped approximate gunpla knowledge

[@ichishoto]

There's a lot of new people to the hobby since the pandemic. I think it's fair to drop some general information on the history without getting too detailed

[@bikzimusmaximus5250]

Forgot the MGSD kits from 2023. They don't have anything to do with any of the SD shows or shorts, they're chibi versions of regular gundam designs using master grade technology.

[@ichishoto]

I didn't forget them I omitted them.

[@Muskarioli]

Yo tourist, IBO is the inflection point between old and new 1/144 kits. Smooth frame plastic and the abandonment of polycaps and also the mere fact that parts separation and molding efficiency landed us a ¥1000 kit with a full skeleton. Also scalping in late 2019 and the reduced allocation of japanese stock online thanks to US stores complaining about being undercut changed the logistics and production quotas along with the public listings of the restock schedule (rip). Its a completely different hobby landscape since 5 years ago. Anyone remember when hlj normally had stuff 20% off msrp and had readily available stock of hundreds of kits?

[@ichishoto]

Hey we all gotta start somewhere.

[@joshuawiseman5629]

dude are you kidding me IRon blooded orphan and witch didnt have any innovation first off the IBO KITS WERE THE FIRST HIGH GRADE KITS TO FEATURE A COMPLETE INNER FRAME and then the witch of mercury kits perfected it seriously the calibarn is probably one of the greatest high grades of all time for a reason dude

[@ichishoto]

I'm not saying the kits from wfm or ibo aren't amazing kits because they definitely are. Also I don't know about full inner frames for HG. Partial absolutely but it wasn't really an innovation because it was done in the RG line first.

[@vicarsol9954]

IBO had partial inner frames, it helped with stability with the design. However, it becomes a detriment for later kits like the latter gundam frames. They are also very famous for how loose the joints were overtime as a mixture of the limited design and horrible poly caps. As for WfM, the greatest thing about them is normalizing colour separation on head pieces not requiring eye stickers. The plastic injection tech for like Aerial and Calibarn are already being used plenty in none-gunpla lines from Bandai and other companies. As someone who has built the Calibarn twice (built a 2nd one few days ago for a project) and built just about most in the line, I can say that it IS the best one in WfM line. Best HG overall? Hell nah. The WFM kits overall build construction is efficient but cheap which is great for its goal but bad for overall quality model kits. The excessive use of C-clips and no-polycap construction is horrible. No polycaps on the kit makes joints get loose faster over time as plastic to plastic rubs off fast. It might seem stable and tight at first but quickly ovetime, it just tears down. People were complaining about polycaps being loose on IBO and BD kits dont know that their polycap quality is really bad comparatively and aren't properly utilized in placements. I've had 10-15 year old kits still tight and sturdy compared to the polycapless constructed kits from just 1 year that are starting to go loose. This is also why old Kotobukiya kits had the stigma of being loose kits due to their plastic on plastic construction. The C-clips placements are horrendous, being used on integral joint sections where movement is constant, leading the friction based construction to being suspectible to breakage due to the brittle plastic normally used for this types of clips. Previously mentioned as well, is that C-clips are platic to plastic leading to easier tear over time. As modeller, as well, fixing these clips is WAY harder than pegs and don't even expect the same flexibility in stability when fixed. It's a shame that WfM are such great designs but these kits just don't hold up and are cheaply designed. If all you have experienced is IBO & WfM kits, i suggest picking up some unicorn era HGs since most of them STILL hold up and are very solid (except maybe the Unicorn gundams oddly enough). Personal favorite is the Revive Gyan, that thing is a marvel of construction when it came out almost a decade ago and is still able to do one leg stand poses no problem.

[@miragebangbravern2024]

​@@vicarsol9954the funny is though, all my WFM kits have been pretty solid despite frequent posing so the c-clips aren't an issue on my side. In fact, the most loose joint is actually the ball joint but I fixed that pretty much with the "super glue then leave it to dry" trick.

[@ichishoto]

@miragebangbravern2024 I believe they're saying the issue will be how long the kits last as result of plastic on plastic wearing down as it's posed and reposed

[@miragebangbravern2024]

@@ichishoto Yeah that although none of my all plastic on plastic kit so far have that kind of problem really although this is still just my experience

[@kennethacuna9996]

for my insanity, please do your best to sync you audio with the movement of your mouth for the next vid. thanks!

[@ichishoto]

Normally it is don't know why it didn't sync in this case

[@divinestrike00x78]

Bro this vid sucks you glossed over so much. No mention of Real Grade?

[@ichishoto]

Bro you didn't watch the vid real grade was discussed